After a Utes win and a Cougars loss – USU was on a bye – where could the three teams possibly end up for a bowl game?
No. 12 Utah
Missing a number of key players – most notably quarterback Cameron Rising – the Utes were able to pull out a gutsy road win over Washington State on Thursday.
With a 6-2 record, Utah is now officially bowl-eligible, although the Utes have bigger goals in mind.
Utah is currently 4-1 in Pac-12 play, virtually good for a three-way second-place tie with USC and UCLA.
The Utes have two very winnable games against Arizona and Stanford next before traveling to Oregon on November 19. Utah likely needs to win its final four games to return to Las Vegas for the Pac-12 title game, but any slip-up will end those hopes.
Projection: San Diego County Credit Union Bowl
Opponent: NC State
Date: Wednesday, December 28
Location: Petco Park – San Diego, CA
Time and channel: 6 p.m. MT, FOX
ICYMI: Utah football holds off Washington State, Pac-12 title hopes remain intact
BYU
Losing four games after a 4-1 start is not what anyone expected from BYU, especially with the amount of returning players from back-to-back 10-win seasons.
But here they are, most recently losing on a last-second field goal to East Carolina at home on Friday.
Now with a 4-5 record, the Cougars’ once-near-guaranteed bowl berth is in serious jeopardy, and even major publications are leaving BYU out of postseason projections.
The Cougars now travel to face Boise State on Saturday to face a team riding a four-game winning streak. Assuming BYU loses, the Cougars would need to win both of their final games (vs. Utah Tech, at Stanford) to reach bowl eligibility.
Projection: Frisco Bowl
Opponent: Air Force
Date: Saturday, December 17
Location: Toyota Stadium – Frisco, TX
Time and channel: 7:15 p.m. MT, ESPN
BYU football: Losing streak reaches four on ECU’s last second field goal
Utah State
Coming off a bye week, the Aggies sit at 3-5 overall, a big step backward after an 11-win, Mountain West title-winning season last year.
Utah State isn’t completely out of it yet, however, with a very winnable game against New Mexico up next, followed by a matchup with Hawai’i.
If the Aggies can win the next two though, they will have to beat either San Jose State or Boise State to reach bowl eligibility.
USU’s hopes may well rest on the health of quarterback Cooper Legas, who was injured in the win over Colorado State and missed the Wyoming game due to a concussion. If the Aggies have any chance at salvaging their season, they’ll need a healthy Legas to lead the way.
